Machine for treating tubes.



No. 704,58l, Patented Iuly I5, |902.

. J. H. RUSSELL.

MACHINE FUR TREATING TUBES.

(Application led Nov. 15, 1901.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

fMAM/Mv/v.'

AAMMHSOMAM Patented .luly I5, |902.

J. Hf RUSSELL.

MACHINE FOR T-REATING TUBES.

(Application led Nov. 15, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

l No. 704,58I. Patented July I5, |902.

J. H. RUSSELL.

MACHINE FOR TREATING TUBES.

(Application led Nov. 15, 1901.)`

No. 704,58l. f Patented luly I5, |902.

J. H. RUSSELL.

MACHINE FOR TREATING TUBES.

(Application led Nov. 15, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

(No Model.)

.\\| i l uw ww .i 11M uw H l n wm .um Nh. ww IW W -`l|. www x v wm, Uli 11\\\, wNw ilxl|| O :il NN Y Wm 55 ma, .$3 .KM/a4,

IINTTED STATES` PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. RUSSELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR TREATING TUBES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,581, dated July 1 5, 1902. Applicationilled November l5, 1901. Serial No. 82,466. (No model.)

T0 all' wwm/ it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. RUSSELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Phila delphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have inventeda certain new and useful Machine for Treating Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide for opening up a tube and smoothing out wrinkles in the material of its walls, fiattenin g it, cutting it into uniform lengths, and delivering such iiattened lengths for'subsequent treatment or use.

To these and other ends hereinafter set forth the invention stated in general terms comprises rolls between which the tube passes and by which it is iiattened, an opener around which the tube passes and by which the material of its walls is smoothed out and it is made uniform, a guide arranged to maintain the opener in operative relation to the rolls, cutting mechanism which receives the smoothed and flattened tube from the rolls and cuts it into uniform lengths, and means for operating said parts; and the invention further comprises the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.

The nature, characteristic features, and scope of the invention willbe more fully understood from the following description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating a machine embodying features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the main portions of theY machine. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through the driving-shaft, and Fig. 4 is a front view of the machine.

In the drawings, l and 2 are a pair of rolls arranged to run in contact with each other and adapted te iiatten the tube upon which the machine is intended to operate as it passes between them. On the feed side of the rolls 1 and 2 is located an opener 3. This may be circular, ellipsoidal, or other equivalent and appropriateshape. The tube upon which the machine operates passes over and around the part `3, so that the part 3 in eect passes through the tube and serves to open it up and smooth it out and make it uniform. For example, if it were wrinkled the part 3 would remove the wrinkles. To accomplish this result, the guide 4 is provided for the opener 3. This guide 4 is illustrated as of trough-like shape, and the proportion and arrangement of the opener and guide are such that the opener tends to rest upon each of the rolls l and 2 and to have its axis substantially in line with a tangent taken from the rolls at their point of contact. This is shown in Fig. 1; but in Fig. 2 the parts shown are placed flat, whereas in Fig. 1 they are placed upon the inclined block 5, which is one means of causing the opener 3 to occupy the position described in respect tothe rolls 1 and 2. As the tube is drawn over the opener 3 between the rolls 1 and 2 the opener makes the tube uniform and the rolls ilatten it, so that it leaves the rolls flat, uniform, and free from wrinkles. Upon leaving the rolls 1 and 2 it reaches the cutters 6 and '7, of which one is stationary and the other movable and which constitute a shear-trim mer. The movements of the machine are so timed that the passage of t-he tube through it is interrupted in order that the cutter 6 may sever it into uniformlengths. From the cutter 6 the smooth flat sections of tube of uniform length may be deposited upon an endless conveyer 9.

10 is a guide for delivering the material from the rolls to the cutter, and 1l is a guide for delivering the material from the cutter to the conveyer. The cutter 6 is pivoted, as shown in Fig. 4, and it may be equipped with a stripper 12. The latter is pivoted to the frame of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2, and it is provided with a yoke 13, which engages a projection 14 on the movable cutter. When the cutter 6 descends, the stripper follows it, and the stripper rests on the fabric or material of the tube while the cutter completes its stroke. This is accomplished because the projection is afforded lost'motion in respect to the yoke. The stripper' therefore rests upon the flattened tube. When the cutter rises, the stripper continues to rest upon the tube during the iirst part of its rising motion and in that way serves to hold the tube down and permit the cutter to rise clear of it. As the cutter approaches its highest position the pro jection again engages the yoke and lifts the stripper from the tube, leaving it free to proceed through the machine.

15 is a pneumatic blower which operates to hold the material down onto the guide 10 and in proper position for being presented to the cutters and subsequently delivered between them.

16 and 17 are springs which serve to hold the movable cutter 6 up to its work in coperation with the fixed cutter 7.

The rolls 1 and 2 are mounted in the frame of the machine, and the axis ofthe roll 1, Fig. 3, is operated upon by springs 18 and 19, which serve to keep the roll 1 in proper contact with the roll 2. The rolls are geared together by means of toothed wheels 2O and 21. The wheel 21 is fast on a sleeve 22, and the sleeve 22 is loose on a positively-driven shaft 23. The shaft 23 is driven by the pulley 24, which is connected with a sleeve 25, which is splined to the shaft 23, so that the pulley 24' and sleeve 25 always turn the shaft 23, but may be shifted longitudinally. The sleeves 22 and 25 are in effect clutch members, so that when the pulley is shifted toward the left in Fig. 3 it drives not only the shaft 23, but also the sleeve 22, whereas in the position shown in said figure it drives the shaft 23 only. The shaft 23 is fitted with a tight gear-wheel 26, which meshes with a cam member 27, fast to a shaft 28, which carries a clutch shipper-cam 29. The cam 29 operates upon the clutchlever 30, which serves to shift the sleeve 25 in conjunction with the spring 31. The cam member 27 operates upon a follower connected with the pivotal arm 32, Fig. 1., which in its turn is connected, as by a link 33, Fig. 4, with the movable cutter 6.

The mode of operation of the described machine may be explained as follows: The tubular elastic material is fed in over the opener 3, between the rolls 1 and 2, over the part 10, and between the cutters. Power is applied to the pulley 24, and it is assumed that the clutch members 22 and 25 are in engagement and are held so by the cam 29. The result is that the sleeve 22 and the shaft 23 are both driven. The sleeve serves to drive the toothed wheel 21, which meshes with the. vtoothed wheel 20, so that the rolls are driven. At the same time the shaft 23 drives the cams 27 and 29; but these cams are so proportioned that for a while they simply hold the shipper 30 in position and permit the cutters to remain open. Under these conditions the rolls 1 and 2 draw the tube over the part 3, which is held up to the rolls by the guide 4 in the manner described. The part 3 opens and smoothes the tube, and the rolls 1 and 2 make it iiat after it has been smoothed. The rolls not only draw the tube over the opener, but also feed it onto the guide 10, where it comes under the influence of the blower 15, which serves to hold it down onto the guide. While all thischas been going on the cams 27 and 29 have been turning, and they by'reason of their form and after the proper interval of time operate as follows: The cam 29 throws the clutch members apart, as shown in Fig. 3. The result of this is that the feed of the material and the motion of the rolls 1 and 2 cease. The cam 27, however, operates upon the follower of the pivoted rod 32 and in that way causes it to move the cutter downward, so as to make ashearing cut, during which the stripper 12 performs its described function. Subsequently the cams return to the initial positions, so as to open the cutters and again start the rolls, and these operations are repeated, so that the tube smoothed by the part 3, flattened by the parts 1 and 2, and cut into uniform lengths by the cutters reaches the guide 11 and by way of it the conveyer 9.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modifications maybe made in details without departing from the spirit thereof. Hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts hereinabove set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; but,

Having thus described the nature and objects of the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A machine of the class speciied comprising the combination of rolls for flattening the tube, an opener located to one side of said rolls for opening and smoothing the tube preparatory to its passing through the rolls, a trough-like guide for positioning the opener near to and on one side of the rolls, a sheartrimmer for receiving the smoothed and flattened tube from the opener and rolls and for cutting it into lengths, and means for operating said parts, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class specified the combination of rolls arranged to normally run in contact with each other for feeding the tube, and an opener wholly arranged to one side-.of said rolls which draw the tube over it and then between them, substantially as described.

3. A machine of the class specified comprising rolls, an opener, a trough-like guide for causing the opener to gravitate into contact with and remain to one side of the line of contact of said rolls, a cutter, a guide between the rolls and cutter, and means for operating the rolls and cutter, substantially as IIO rolls, a cutter, a guide between the cutter and rolls, a blower arranged to discharge on the last-mentioned guide, an endless conveyer, and a guide from the cutter to the conveyer, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class specified the combination of rolls, a shear-cutter, a guide between the rolls and cutter, means for operating the rolls and shear-cutter, a pivotal stripper,and lost-motion connections between the stripper and movable blade of the cutter, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the class specied the combination of rolls, a shear-cutter, a p0sitively-driven shaft, a cutter-cam operatively In testimony whereof I have hereunto 25l signed my name.

JAMES H. RUSSELL.

In presence of- GEO. S. BARROWS, F. L. KELLNER. 

